Learn Hebrew: Acco

An ancient city by the sea.

One of the most fascinating cities in Israel is Acco (), sometimes called Acre. This city presents the remains of various cultures dated back to the Bronze Age; is the home of different religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and the Bahai religion); and was the setting for numerous battles and conquests. In 2001 UNESCO designated Acco's Old City as a World Heritage Site.

Acco's old city is located on a small peninsula on the northern part of the Haifa bay. Theer you encounter the sea waves smashing into the ancient walls; the smells of the fresh fish and the luscious spices; the sounds of the market vendors hawking the best Humus and the refreshing pomegranate juice.

The origins of Acco's name are unclear. It appears in the Bible once in the territory of the tribe of Asher, as one place from which the Israelites did not drive out the Canaanites.

Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Tzidon (Judges 1:31)

According to the Jewish tradition, when the deluge of Noah's days reached the coast of Acco, G-d ruled: (Ad ko tavo velo tosif) meaning: “Arrive up to here and stop.” In other words, the flood waters did not penetrate the Land of Israel.

Sites in Acco

Fortified Walls - The Crusaders who failed to conquer Jerusalem, conquered Acco in the 12th century and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. They built relatively thin walls around the city to keep it from inland invaders. When the Mameluks invaded the city in the late 13th century, they destroyed most of the city, killed every remaining Crusader and put an end to the Latin Kingdom. The city was left mostly uninhabited for hundreds of years, and was finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1517. It was not until the days of Daher el-Omar (1750-1775) and his successor, Jezzar Pasha (called by the locals Al-Jezzar, 1775-1814), that the city regained its power. In 1750, Daher el-Omar, the ruler of Acco, utilized the remnants of the Crusader walls as a foundation for his walls and also built walls on the seaside to protect Acco from invasion. The walls were reinforced between 1775 and 1799 by Jezzar Pasha and survived Napoleon's siege.

The walls include a thick defensive wall, a dry moat and cannon outposts. Nowadays, travelers may walk on the walls and scout the sea and the city. It is also impressive to take a boat ride and watch the waves crashing into the walls from the sea side.

The Jailhouse: When Dahar al-Omar and Al-Jezzar built the Citadel, they built a jailhouse inside the walls to detain criminals and political deportees from all over the Ottoman empire. Among the prisoners here was Baha'ullah, the founder of the Bahai religion. During the British Mandate, hundreds of the Jewish Underground members – fighting to establish a Jewish State – were imprisoned here by the British. On May 4, 1947, members of the "Irgun" or “Etzel” ( - an acronym for National Military Organization) boldly infiltrated the jail and set the imprisoned Jews free. Three Jews were killed in the operation, and three escaped prisoners who were later captured were put to death by hanging. You can read more about this heroic attempt here.

Knights' Halls: In the days when Acco served as the capital of the Crusaders, these halls hosted many pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Until recently, the Knight Halls were covered by the floor of the Acco Citadel, which served as a jail during the days of the Ottomans and the British Mandate. Archaeological excavations revealed this complex of halls, which have now been restored.

The Mosaic Shul – A special tourist attraction is a synagogue whose interior walls are covered entirely with mosaic tiles. These millions of tiny tiles were laid painstakingly by hand over a period of 40 years. The mosaics depict biblical scenes and panoramas of Jewish holy sites. Truly an amazing site to behold!

Asher -
A boy’s name from the Bible; "Asher" was one of Jacob's sons, and one of the Twelve Tribes. According to the Bible, the name Asher is derived from the word osher, "happiness" (Genesis 41:50-52).

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Shira Cohen-Regev has a Masters Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Child Development and Social Work. She taught and tutored Hebrew as a Second Language both online and in academic settings. She is currently employed by the Israeli Ministry of Education.

I’ve heard the argument made that Jews should not buy German products, for example Volkswagen cars which used Jewish slave labor during the war. It is wrong for Jews to support German industries?

My cousin says we should just forgive and forget. I would like your thoughts on the subject.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The great rabbi known as the Chazon Ish once said that if a Torah scroll was found burning, and a man used it to light his cigarette, there is no Jewish law that forbids it. Nevertheless, doing so would show a lack of sensitivity. So too, Jewish law does not forbid purchasing a German car.

Regarding the "demand for forgiveness," people often quote the Bible that when one is struck, it is proper to "turn the other cheek" and allow that cheek to be struck as well. But that only appears in the Christian Bible. Jews believe in fighting actively against evil.

Almost all people are inherently good and so we should forgive their lapses. But some people are truly evil – for example, Amalek, the ancient nation which wantonly attacked the Jews leaving Egypt.

Over two millennia ago when Haman (a descendant of Amalek) was commanded by the king to lead his enemy Mordechai through the streets of Shushan, Mordechai was too weak to climb on to the horse. Haman had to stoop to allow Mordechai to use his back as a stepping stool. In the process, Mordechai delivered a vicious kick to Haman which obviously startled him.

Turning to Mordechai in bewilderment, Haman asked: "Does it not say in your Bible, 'Do not rejoice at your enemy's downfall?'" Mordechai responded that indeed it does, but it refers only to people less evil than Haman. So too, we have no reason or allowance to forgive the Nazis and their helpers. Those who scraped the concrete in the gas chambers gasping for air can choose whether to forgive the Germans. We cannot.

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem. Sadat was the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel, after receiving an invitation from Menachem Begin. Sadat had orchestrated the Egyptian attack on Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but after suffering defeat became resigned to the existence of the State of Israel. Much of the Arab world was outraged by Sadat's visit and his change of strategy. One year later, Sadat and Begin signed the Camp David Peace Agreement, for which they received the Nobel Peace Prize. As part of the deal, Israel withdrew from the Sinai peninsula in phases, returning the entire area to Egypt by 1983.

There are many tasks, jobs, and chores that we will end up
doing whether we really enjoy doing them or not. Many hours of our lives are spent this way. The late Rabbi Chaim Friedlander, of Ponevehz Yeshivah, used to say, "If you are going to do it anyway, do it with joy."

Train a young lad according to his method, so that when he grows older he will not deviate from it (Proverbs 22:6).

He shall not deviate from it - the child will not deviate from the method with which he was taught. That method refers to the way we are taught to adapt to life's many hurdles, struggles, and tests.

Education consists of more than just imparting knowledge; it also means training and preparation in how to deal with life. Knowledge is certainly important, but is by no means the sum total of education.

"A person does not properly grasp a Torah principle unless he errs in it" (Gittin 43b). People usually do not really grasp anything unless they first do it wrong. In fact, the hard way is the way to learn. Children learn to walk by stumbling and picking themselves up; young people learn to adjust to life by stumbling and picking themselves up.

Parents and teachers have ample opportunities to serve as role models for their children and students, to demonstrate how to adapt to mistakes and failures. If we show our children and students only our successes, but conceal our failures from them, we deprive them of the most valuable learning opportunities.

We should not allow our egos to interfere with our roles as educators. Parents and teachers fulfill their obligations when they become role models for real life.

Today I shall...

try to share with others, especially with younger people, how I have overcome and survived my mistakes.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...